Forsaken
by key20xl
Summary: How can you say that! You should know by now that you matter to me! I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. (Rating may go up)
1. Need is a Strange Emotion

All I could was watch as my life-long friend gave up his life to protect me from the onslaught of demons. I wanted to be by his side, but I was pinned to the ground. I hated myself for getting into this situation of utter uselessness, like every other time. Ever since we fought the androids, I became less and less able to keep up with everyone else. I guess it was that hatred of idleness that got me into this mess in the first place.

__

Part1: Need Is a Strange Emotion

Life was almost normal on Earth. Buu was defeated, the people still worshiped Satan, but at least he gave credit where it was supposed to be. There is a Tenka'ichi Budokai this year... But I am saddened to not be participating. I just wouldn't be able to hold my own against the Saiyan fighters. It's been made painfully clear to me whenever I sparred with Gohan. I knew he held back his power. I say almost normal because I am not used to taking a back seat. It was hard enough admitting I was 'second best' to Goku, but I dealt with that relatively easy enough. But admitting defeat to Vegeta and Gohan... admitting defeat to someone whom I was once stronger than them... is something I'm still not very comfortable with. I know I am stronger than the Earthlings, but that's not very impressive. I always have been.

So I contemplate what it'd be like if I weren't around. Most of the people I know wouldn't care if I died, Hell, some of them would be happy. But I know it would almost destroy Gohan. I say almost because he has family and friends to help him. But right now the only thing holding me here is Gohan.

He has a daughter now, Pan. She reminds me so much of the Sons. Free spirited, innocent, and seemingly famished. She eats as much as her daddy and grandpa do. She's participating in the adult category. Good thing, because she'd easily win in the children's division.

I'm sitting in the bleachers with the rest of the non-participants. Yes sitting, me of all people. My usual stance just won't command the kind of attention as it used to. Simply another painfully obvious reminder that I am no longer needed.

Needed. Need is such a strange emotion, and emotions are strange enough on their own. I used to think that all Need ever applied to were the basic requirements to live. But my definition drastically changed the day Gohan stepped into my life. He taught me how to need someone and what it felt like to be needed. But ever since Videl came into his life, I have slowly forgotten what it feels like to be needed, and my need for someone has strengthened.

I stare at the ring in a daze, trying to remember 'happier' times. I can truthfully say I was never happy except when it was just me and Gohan alone, it didn't matter what we did, as long as it was just him and I. And those days were the happiest of my life. I slip into meditation, trying to hold on to the few memories of mine that brought me comfort.

I manage to meditate throughout the entire competition. Us spectators say our congratulations, the more social of us plan a get together, and then we all take off. And I head in the opposite direction. I can't stand being near most of them for any longer than I have to.

I find a secluded spot in some woods. And then I just sit there and think. What if...? What if I never trained Gohan. What if I never refused Kami's help? What if I never denounced my demonic heritage? Would I have been stronger if I never gave up on my quest to kill Goku? Would I have been stronger if I had nothing to do with emotions? Am I regretting my actions?

Is there anyway I can change all this?

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z and all affiliated characters.


	2. Interlude in a Dream

__

Part2: Interlude In A Dream

Searing heat and fire surrounds me. 'This is Hell,' I think to myself. I wander around trying to find people I know. I see the usual villains: Frieza, Cell, and all the other random fighters that we've killed. I come to what seems like a palace carved into a wall of rock. I have a foreboding feeling, but I enter anyway. It's dark and surprisingly cold. I can make out the shadows of devilish creatures running about. I am in a long hallway. At the end I see an eerie blue light. I walk towards it. I see the silhouette of two men.

"My son, your fire has burned out," said one. The other raised his arms and I was then covered in a red glow. I began to burn from the inside out.

I awoke screaming, engulfed in darkness. My fire has burnt out. I began to feel fear, another damned emotion. An emotion I could do without. Is my sire trying to contact me?

I relight my fire and I sit and stare at it. Without warning I am overwhelmed by his memories, and all I can do is try to ride out my personal storm.


	3. End of Uselessness

__

Part3: End of Uselessness

I want the nightmares to go away. Night after night the images come to me. Day after day the images haunt me. I want my Hell to go away.

I'll make it go away the only way I know how.

I stare into the horizon. Vast ocean reflecting the rising red moon. Jagged rocks far below me, the edge of a cliff in front of me. One step from the end of uselessness. I close my eyes.

__

'What Gods there may be, why have you forsaken me?'

One step from the end of uselessness.

__

'What friends I may have had, why have you forsaken me?'

One step...

"Father, why have you forsaken me?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I took my last step.

I heard a low laugh in my head. _'I should ask the same of you son... Why did you forsake me?'_

'You know very well. I no longer wanted my demon heritage.'

He laughed again. _'But now you're regretting it, aren't you?' _I did not respond. '_Aren't you?'_

'That is no business of yours!'

'But it is! My only surviving offspring is going to kill himself.'

'Leave me alone! You have brought nothing but sorrow to me.'

'That can be changed.'

Change. _'I do not want your 'help'.'_

'I can make you powerful again.'

Power. _'I said, I do not want your 'help'!'_

'I can make you dead to emotion again.'

Emotions, my downfall. Regret my last emotion. I want the nightmares to go away. Night after night the images come to me. Day after day the images haunt me. I want my Hell to go away. I'll make it go away the only way I know how. _'Help me...'_

I open my eyes. I stare into the horizon. Vast forest ablaze in the light of the rising red moon. Jagged rocks far below me, the edge of a cliff behind me. One step away from the end of uselessness.

AN: I apologize for the last chapter being so short, which is why I called it "Interlude."


	4. Do as I Say

Part4: Do as I Say

"In today's news, a large section of forest just outside Satan City was destroyed in a blaze. Authorities have no comment on the cause of the fire, but they are still investigating..."  
"Well that's odd."  
"What is Bulma?"  
"That stretch of forest isn't known to have flash fires."  
"Do you think some kids could've done it?"  
The blue-haired woman shook her head. "They would've found something by now. Well come on, Krillin. Let's go finish setting up for Trunks' party."  
"... the path of destruction seemed to be headed towards Satan City. If the Fire Department had got there any later the City would've caught on fire as well. In other news--" Bulma turned off the television and went outside.  
  
Satan flashed the victory sign to the crowd that had followed him to his house. He went inside and headed straight towards the den. He plopped down on a leather lazyboy and looked around at the memorabilia of his past successes. His Champion belts, his copies of the Cell Games, both the true and false versions, his Key to the city... As far as the media knew, he was the one who saved them the countless times before, but he made sure he gave credit where it was due. He closed his eyes to rest a few moments before he left for Capsule Corp.  
He awoke to the feeling of being watched. His eyes darted around the room, but saw no one. He got up to leave the room but he stopped dead in the doorway when a chill went up and down his spine.  
"Hello, Satan. I've come to make a deal with you," said a hauntingly cold voice.  
The fighter turned around. The person seemed familiar but he couldn't place a name to the face for the life of him. "Do I know you?"  
"You know, I'm sick and tired of people forgetting who I am." A flash of a long canine sparked Satan's memory.  
"Wait you're Piccolo, aren't you? What the Hell are you talking about?"  
"I've come to make a deal with you. I won't kill you if you hand control of this City over to me." Piccolo grinned evilly.  
Satan laughed. "What are you on?! That's just an empty threat. I know you're not evil."  
Piccolo growled low in his throat. "You _will _do as I say, Satan, or you can say goodbye to your precious city."  
Satan's eyes went wide with shock as he remembered the fire that had almost reached the city. "Th-that was you?!?"  
The Namekian demon laughed deeply as he smirked. "Yes, and I won't hesitate to do that again if you anger me. Now I'm not asking you to leave the city, but you will be my puppet ruler, and you will do everything that I tell you to do..."  
  
Satan was unnoticed when he arrived, the party was in full swing and everybody was entertained by something. 'Don't fail me, messenger boy...' the Demon's words echoing in his head. He looked around for Goku. He spotted him by, where else, the food. He hurried his way over.  
"Goku!"  
"Oh, hi Hercule! You made it!" classic Son grin covering his face.  
"There's something I have to tell you..."  
The smile replaced by confusion. "What?" Satan handed him a piece of paper. As Goku read it, he almost blanched at its contents. "... This isn't good..." He stared down at the note, not seeing his son come up behind him.  
"What's wrong Dad?"  
"... This." He handed him the message and he read it:

_

> Be prepared warriors of Earth, for your time of reckoning is here. I tell you this now so my minions and I won't completely crush you without a fight. I plan on having fun taking my revenge on those who forsook me. In three months time we will be here to destroy you and Earth itself.
> 
> You will regret not dealing with me when you had the chance.

_

"Dad... Do you have any idea on who this could be?"  
"I don't know... I really can't think of anyone who would want revenge that we haven't dealt with already."  
"Anyone you might have abandoned?"  
"You know that's not like me."  
"Vegeta might know something."  
"I'll ask him then."  
"Okay. I'll go get Piccolo and we'll come back here. We have to start training right away."  
  
Satan left the party without being seen. He returned home to find that Piccolo was waiting for him.  
"So how did it go?"  
"They got the message."  
"Good. And?"  
"They don't know that it's you who wrote that, Gohan is looking for you."  
"Were they scared?" Satan nodded. "Good. That's all I need for right now, but I will return when I need something else."

AN: So sorry about taking so long to update, I've been quite busy recently, but I will try to keep up with this. And thanks for all the reviews


	5. Crystalline Lies

Part5: Crystalline Lies

"Piccolo! You here?!" Gohan yelled into the cave. A familiar ki landed behind him. "Piccolo!" The teen turned and grinned. "Where were you?"  
"Up on the Lookout," my stoic reply.  
"Oh, then you must know what's going on already."  
I feigned surprise, "What do you mean "what's going on'?"  
"My dad got a really strange letter today at Trunk's party. We don't know who sent it, but whoever it was, is going to attack Earth in three months."  
"Oh, no, I didn't know about that."  
"Well, I came here to get you so we could start training. So come on, let's go!"  
I refused to move. "Why did you bother Gohan? You know I'm practically a no count now!" I paused. An Emotion. I thought I got rid of all of those.  
"How can you say that?! You should know by now that you matter to me! I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."  
"Feh. _Now_ you care," Piccolo said under his breath. "Fine, fine. But your training starts _now!_" He snapped his fist square on the side of Gohan's jaw. "Heh, you've gotten slow." He sprang up into the air while Gohan was still recovering. "I know you can do better than this!"  
Gohan growled low in his throat as he glared up at his mentor. "I'll show you better. Yaaaah!" He vaulted himself into the air, ki flaring and arm outstretched.  
As he neared, Piccolo grabbed Gohan's fist, pulled and crashed his knee into Gohan's head. Gohan shook it off and sent his heel straight into Piccolo's chin.  
"You've gotten careless too," he smirked.

Several hours we were sitting by a stream.  
"Good spar," he said to me.  
"Yeah you too kid."  
"I didn't realize how out of practice I was." He noticed the setting sun. "Oh man! Dad's going to wonder what happened to us! Let's go!"  
We flew around until we spotted Goku and Vegeta just outside Satan City. More specifically, the area that was wasted by the fire. "Hey Dad!" Gohan yelled. We landed next to the two Saiyans.  
"Hi, Gohan, Piccolo."  
"What happened here," Gohan asked.  
"That's the thing, no one knows. There was a fire last night and the Fire Department has no idea how it started," Goku replied.  
"No signs of arson, no storm, so no lightning, not even a lousy leftover ember of a campfire," Vegeta added.  
"So you think whoever sent the note was also responsible for this?"  
"It's possible. I can feel a faint energy signal, but it's not one I've felt before," Goku answered. "Well we should probably get Bulma to look into this, at least to confirm there wasn't any natural cause. And Piccolo, you should ask Dende if he felt any suspicious over in this area. In the meantime we should get to training."  
"There's no need for me to go to the Lookout."  
"Why do you say that?"

Piccolo left Satan City and headed towards the Lookout, masking his ki the entire way. As he neared, he felt his body being pushed back by its holy aura. He pushed himself to its surface. He hovered a few inches above the tiles and came up behind the young Guardian Dende.  
"This isn't good," the young Namek said to himself. "There's a demon loose."  
"You're right," Piccolo said menacingly. A ball of ki began to grow in his hand. "There is..."  
'STOP!' said a voice in his head.  
'What the hell is this?'  
'Please don't. Please don't kill him.'  
'It's that weakling Nail,' Piccolo thought. His hand began to simply glow. Piccolo put two fingers to Dende's forehead. "Sleep in peace." Dende fell asleep as his body became encased in crystal. "Damn pity emotion. Well, now to see if my messenger boy did his work."

"I was just there not too long ago. He didn't notice anything about this."  
"Oh, well we best start training."

AN: Yes, I know I keep switching between 1st and 3rd person, but there is a method to my madness! A cookie to whomever figures it out.


End file.
